Four Lessons On Brand Collaborations: Freshly Picked + Ayesha Curry

One of my latest and greatest discoveries is a privately-owned, baby footwear company called “Freshly Picked” that specializes in genuine leather baby moccasins. When I first stumbled across their Instagram page, I just kept saying, “these are so cute!” The “moccs” (as they call them) come in a variety of themes, textures, and colors. Freshly Picked was founded in 2009 with just $200, and now the company has a growing clientele that even includes some of the rich and famous.

Recently, Freshly Picked teamed up with Ayesha Curry to produce three new styles. As I’ve watched their marketing plan unfold over the past week, I took note of several things that made this partnership highly effective. Here are four lessons that we can take away from the Freshly Picked + Ayesha Curry collaboration:

Alignment

Alignment is a pre-requisite for any successful branding initiative. We’ve fallen in love with The Curry Family brand as Stephen Curry climbed to NBA stardom, which ushered his family into the limelight. In the process, Ayesha Curry developed her own voice and brand presence centered on family and food. Freshly Picked played on those elements from beginning to end as they crafted the collaboration’s storyline. The collection features styles – “Mint Chip,” “Pink Lemonade,” and “Fan Favorite.” The photo campaign stars the newest edition to The Curry Family, Baby Ryan. From the messaging to the photo campaign, there is seamless alignment.

Creative Visual Concepts

The visuals have to be my favorite part of the entire collaboration. Some of the photos include Ayesha serving the moccasins on a platter, a plate with the “Mint Chip” moccasins and a flavored cone to match, and a baby model rocking the “Fan Favorite” moccs with a basketball nearby. The color palette used is so fun and fresh! Consumers buy with their eyes, and the engaging visuals presented with this collaboration are enough to make anyone want to open their pocketbook.

Engaging Storyline

Every image posted on Freshly Picked’s social media pages is accompanied by a witty statement that plays off The Curry Family brand. “It’s Gameday in Cleveland. What’s your score prediction?” is the fresh marketing copy presented on one of the days that the Cleveland Cavaliers battled the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Other images are captioned by catchy one liners inspired by family and food.

Relevance and Reinvention

One of the most important lessons to gather from the FP + Ayesha Curry partnership is how a successful collaboration can reinvigorate a brand and move it to the forefront. By joining forces with Ayesha Curry, Freshly Picked created new news for their small company based in Provo, Utah and tapped into a new fan base. A simple product, baby moccasins, found new life in the process. All the while, Freshly Picked has been elevated to a new playing field.

I hope that you use these tips as you pursue your own brand collaborations to ensure that they are as successful as can be.

Aaja Corinne Magee is a Chicago-based image & personal branding strategist, specializing in helping high-potential leaders create game-changing, personal brands. For more savvy advice and quick tips, connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Periscope, and sign up for her newsletter at www.aajacorinnethebrand.com.